


Arresto Momentum

by keonhee



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Care of Magical Creatures, Crush at First Sight, DMLE | Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Harry Potter), Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keonhee/pseuds/keonhee
Summary: You see, getting into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement wasn’t the simplest of tasks. You had to be summoned.And exactly that became Youngjo’s genius plan, just so he could meet the mystery man in the office again.
Relationships: Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Lee Keonhee
Comments: 28
Kudos: 55





	1. Of Dragons and Thestrals

**Author's Note:**

> **ARRESTO MOMENTUM** \- Slowing Charm, decreases the velocity of a moving target. Can be used on multiple targets, as well as on the caster themselves.
> 
> (big thank you to L. for proof-reading this fire-breathing creature)

The first time Youngjo saw him, the man was wearing this one atrocious, eye-catching jacket. It was multicolored and bright and had a breast pocket from which protruded a white rose, slightly squished but still looking alive. The sleeves of the jacket abomination were cuffed around the man’s elbows as he sat at a desk and was writing something down with a feather, his brows furrowed in focus and his tongue ever-so-slightly peeking out from between his lips. He looked professional and serious, or at least would if it wasn’t for that jacket. He had soft-looking light brown hair covering his forehead and reaching down almost to his eyelashes. His nose was round and adorable. His lips were pursed together in concentration.

Youngjo swore he fell in love a little, just at first sight. The man didn’t even see him, engrossed in his work and with Youngjo being pushed forward as he was getting dragged to be questioned, handcuffs on his wrists, but the glance he had at the man was enough to set a new goal for him.

To get to know the guy. Woo him, if possible. To see him again as soon as he could, longer this time, not just a quick stalled look through the open doors to an office.

But not now. Now he had to explain to Wizengamot just why his small, modest flat surpassed the number of allowed owls by exactly 36. He hoped that saying "I only have one apartment, where else would I store them" would suffice as an understandable reason as to why he kept them all there. The court should understand, they knew Youngjo worked with animals and was one of the most qualified people around to take care of them. He knew what he was doing, he just didn't have anywhere else where he could house the birds for the time being. They needed help enough as they were and it was only a temporary solution anyway.

Still, the neighbors on his floor haven’t been appreciative of the scratching and hooting in the nighttime. Youngjo supposed he could see why.

The hearing was over in a blink of an eye, and Youngjo was let go with just a small fine, mostly so it didn't look like there were no consequences to his behavior. They didn't even take the owls away because he promised to let them go when they were all healed and ready, and that wasn't a solid date for him to stick to.

Satisfied with receiving something akin to a mere wrist slap, Youngjo walked out of the room and trotted back to the main corridor where he’d seen the man before. The doors were open, and the man wasn’t at his desk but his jacket made it easy for Youngjo to spot him elsewhere, a bit deeper into the office. The man’s height made Youngjo feel a little bit weaker, their height difference wasn’t that big probably, but boy, that man had legs reaching the stars. He was standing next to someone sitting at a different desk, probably discussing a file he kept tracing his finger over as it laid in front of the other man. Youngjo couldn’t see the standing man’s face since his back was turned to him, but he knew the discussion must have been something serious and important, judging by the expressions of the man sitting by the desk. He decided he wouldn’t be able to catch a proper glimpse again without making himself look rather suspicious, occupying the entrance without an actual reason if asked, so Youngjo opted to go home.

It didn’t mean his mind wasn’t working on double speed to come up with a plan to see the man again.

You see, getting into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement wasn’t the simplest of tasks. Sure, it was level two at the ministry, which meant the elevator drove past it quite often, but you needed a good reason to actually step into the corridor. Otherwise, you could get gently or less so escorted out, possibly seen as an intruder in a place filled with the officers of the law who were just doing their job, protecting confidential information from outsiders and nosy people. You had to come here for a reason, preferably with an invitation.

You had to be summoned.

And exactly that became Youngjo’s genius plan, just so he could meet the mystery man in the office again. He’d decided what he was going to do even before he got out on the street.

Over the past few years, Youngjo had made some powerful friends at the Ministry of Magic, to put it one way. To say that he 'had connections' would be an overstatement, but only in his opinion, because truth be told, he would sometimes (most of the time) be let go without any further investigation if he happened to be involved in (or the cause of) something. It wasn't just because of his sweet smile and shining eyes, no. He often co-worked with the Ministry on some special cases because their specialists weren't quite as knowledgeable as he was in the field of foreign fantastic beasts, illegal trade of which had been rapidly growing in recent years. They needed Youngjo to help them subdue and take care of the animals without putting them in danger and harming them, so because of that, he held some sort of leverage over the Ministry, so to speak. He didn't have complete immunity, but he sure wasn't getting charged with anything heavy, even if he did sometimes dance on the verge of it. He was needed and useful, and so, trusted. 

This fact didn’t change, even if he's been going into hearings with Wizengamot almost daily for the past two weeks (he may have taken three days off to meet up with Hwanwoong and Geonhak without any other engagements on those days, to give the two of his friends his full attention). It was never anything big that he got summoned for; most of his offenses were animal-related as Youngjo had access to many stores and sanctuaries whose employees didn't question when he would ask to 'borrow' an animal for a few hours. The animals always came back unharmed and as comfortable as they were before their leave. Luckily, the Wizengamot never questioned where Youngjo took all the ruckus-causing beasts from, so none of the places he visited saw a reason to stop letting him take the animals for a walk, a crawl, or a short flight in the open air above London. There were bigfoot sightings, strange flying objects, random explosions, odd sounds, and smells amidst the busy city, all forcing the authorities to arrive and arrest Youngjo, who always willingly let them take him. He caused a bit of controlled chaos that never harmed anyone, all just to be able to see the man again.

And see him he did, many times, although he was yet to stand in the proximity of his crush. For now, he was plenty satisfied with the fleeting moments of watching him from afar as he was getting led to the court again and again, along the long corridor. The office guy laughed, hunched over his desk filled with numerous papers, once even tried to balance a feather on top of his nose, somehow ending up spilling ink on his pants, all in the few seconds it would take Youngjo to stall his walk to the big double doors at the end of the passage. Youngjo’s small offenses maybe grew in numbers day by day, but so did the little occasions where he could see the gorgeous man doing various things, so, at the end of the day, it was all worth it. He even thought he spotted the other looking his way, too, once or twice, as if he started to expect him to come sooner or later during the day.

It must have been just circumstantial, though. Youngjo seriously doubted he already caught the attention of that man. That was to come later.

He was yet to show off his charms.

~

One day he accidentally and indirectly set a random Muggle car on fire. The owner wasn’t anywhere near, and a simple spell reversed the damage right away, but three Muggle bystanders had to have their memory wiped out, so they wouldn’t remember a tiny lizard-like creature spitting an insane amount of sizzling fluid all over the lonely parked Toyota. Youngjo accepted being taken to the Ministry with merely a nod after he made sure the magical creature was safe and secure in its carrier, one that wasn’t bigger than a jewelry box he could carry himself. The small dragon was hugging the smallest ever teddy bear like the baby it was, its arms tiny and weak, even if covered by scales. Model dragons weren’t commonly met but they could be very helpful, and this one had a breath of fire way bigger than it seemed, as presented by the damage it caused to the car.

Once inside the Ministry, the officer asked to escort him was pulled to the side by one of the officials, and after a few exchanged words he left Youngjo alone, just with the small lizard, without any saying when he'll be back. Youngjo wasn’t even handcuffed, he just stood there, in the middle of the corridor, glancing through the ever-opened doors at the handsome employee as he usually would before it dawned on him.

It was the perfect opportunity, so Youngjo had to take it.

"Hi," he breathed out after he took the few steps that separated him from the desk of his dream man. He wanted to say more, but the excitement over finally being able to see the man up close stole all his words away when their eyes met. So he looked on, sporting a grin and awaiting a response.

The man blinked at him, and a second later a small practiced smile bloomed on his face. It was a customer smile, the one usually served to clients and applicants of the Ministry. He put down his elegant feather and closed the cap of his ink bottle to shift in his seat and face Youngjo better. "Oh, it's you. You're quite a frequent, hm, visitor to the Wizengamot, aren't you?"

Youngjo smiled brightly. "They just can't get enough of me, so they keep bringing me back again and again."

"Is that so," the man mused after a short pause, a singular eyebrow of his rising until it disappeared under his fringe, "and the handcuffs are just an accessory of your choice?"

“Hey, I’m not wearing them today, aren’t I?” Youngjo pouted, raising his free hand to twist it as to present its bareness. The lizard in its small box-sized carrier squeaked a little, causing the man to finally notice what Youngjo brought with.

“What’s that? Did you bring in an animal?” he asked, making hand gestures for Youngjo to put the container on his desk. When he did as asked, the man let out a small gasp, eyes widening upon seeing the tiny lizard hugging a little toy.

“Oh yeah, it’s a model dragon. The sole reason I’m here today. I couldn’t let him stay there because this breed gets cold very easily, so I brought him in to have him on me the entire time.”

The office guy stared through the glass opening at the small creature bundled up with its toy. The lizard seemed to have taken an interest in him as well, perking up and straining its long neck to get its snot closer to the barrier that separated it from the outside and the curious, shining eyes watching it. Youngjo shifted his weight from one foot to the other, watching the silent interaction with slight giddiness. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Huh? What?” the office guy blinked, raising his gaze onto Youngjo for only a split second before he went back to observing the small dragon again. “I can’t hold him, don’t be ridiculous. I don’t think him getting out in the middle of an office room would lead to anything good or safe. Even if small, he’s still a fire-breathing dragon, isn’t he, and I work with paper.”

“Fair enough,” Youngjo hummed in agreement.

The man snorted. It wasn't a dignified sound but Youngjo absolutely adored it. "Shouldn’t you be going to the Wizengamot already? You’ve been at my desk for a while, one might think they’re giving you a chance to flee."

"Now why would I want to run and be a fugitive over birds or lizards? I'd rather stay here and face the consequences."

The man looked him straight in the eye. "If you had any actual consequences, I'd say you wouldn't end up here daily."

“Well, you got a point here, not gonna lie.”

“What’s your crime today? A dragon-induced fire, huh?” the office worker guessed, smoothing down his pants. Youngjo couldn’t help but look down and follow the movement, realizing once again how long the limbs of the man were. God, he was so tall. Perfect. Even if he seemed to be acting way less interested than someone who’d be continuing this conversation like he was. Youngjo didn’t mind it as long as they still talked.

“Accidental fire, yup. Nothing a quick spell couldn’t fix.”

“Were there any witnesses?”

“Three Muggles, I almost obliviated them myself, but I knew the officials would appear soon enough to do it.”

The office guy furrowed his eyebrows. “That’d just add to your offenses, you know. More spells in the presence of Muggles, even if it was to erase their memory.”

“So you’re both handsome and smart. No wonder they keep you here.”

The man made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like he was choking, and his eyes went wide for a moment before he knitted his eyebrows together. Youngjo supposed the man didn’t appreciate the random compliment as much as he had foolishly hoped for. “That I didn’t see coming. Are you trying to add bribery to your crimes?” The man asked

“How is it bribery?”

“You’re trying to win me over with smiles and sweet words. That’s either bribery or nepotism.”

Youngjo grinned cheerfully. “Well, is it working? Cause I don’t know if I should continue.”

“You’re really obnoxious, has anyone told you that before?”

The man sounded a bit tired but Youngjo zeroed on something else - technically, he didn’t answer his question. “A few people here and there. Usually, I get to know their names first, though.”

The office man straightened up. Even if he was sitting down and Youngjo was standing up, he still managed to look bigger and make Youngjo feel smaller under his gaze. His eyes were squinted, and frankly, Youngjo didn’t remember when was the last time he felt so judged. And he was going to the court every other day.

Somehow, it didn’t bother him too much. He held a smile.

The office worker sighed at last. “If I give you my name, will you leave me alone?”

“Oh, you want me gone so soon?”

The man’s gaze could freeze a human for eternity. Okay, they were done for today.

“Alright, alright. I’ll let you be.” Youngjo grabbed the dragon carrier with his left hand and held out the other, doing his best to smile as decently as he could despite the bubbling giddiness inside of him. “I’m Youngjo Kim.”

“Keonhee Lee,” the man reached out his hand and squeezed Youngjo’s briefly before taking it back and resting it on the desk, shifting on his chair to give a clear signal he’s ready to get back to work and finish the conversation. “And now you can go bother the court. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you again.”

“Oh, without a doubt,” Youngjo beamed, his chest puffing up with how proud of himself he felt, “see you next time, Keonhee.”

The guard had never returned to him, but Youngjo knew the way, so he entered the big courtroom on his own, carrying a tiny dragon in his hand and a smile on his face.

He had the name. The first step to getting the heart, even if Youngjo himself was aware of how corny and hardly possible that sounded. The plan was set in motion.

~

“Hello!”

“Good afternoon. No dragons today?”

Youngjo grinned despite Keonhee not sparing him a single glance. The Ministry worker was too engrossed in studying a file on the desk in front of him, yet Youngjo had a hunch he wouldn’t be reading anything important in the presence of an outsider like him. “No, just a thestral, although the officers wouldn’t allow me inside with it. It’s kinda big, and to be frank, this species doesn’t really like closed spaces that much, so I didn’t bring him here.”

That made Keonhee look up. His lips formed a little ‘o’. “You can see thestrals?”

As soon as he said it, realization and guilt started to form on his face. He opened his mouth to apologize for the faux pas, but Youngjo was faster, sparing him.

“No, I can’t. It kinda makes it more difficult to take care of them, that’s why this one caused a bit of destruction before I caught him.” He smiled awkwardly. “As soon as the leash broke, I knew there'd be trouble.”

Keonhee hummed, nodding his head. “Any Muggle witnesses?”

“Not this time. It happened on the Diagon Alley, I think someone was testing fireworks? The poor animal got spooked, broke free, and started charging at anyone and anything standing in its way. It was really loud there, a lot of commotion, I couldn’t even hear where it ran, so I had to follow the path of stomped-over tables and fallen people on the pavement. Took me a moment to catch it and calm down, and by then many store displays got damaged, and a few people were a little shaken, some even thinking it must have been dark magic.”

Keonhee smiled sympathetically. Youngjo shrugged. “Also, apparently thestrals aren’t allowed there? In London and on Diagon Alley specifically? No one told me at the entrance.”

“Probably because almost no one could see it.” 

“Oh, you’re right. Guess they didn’t question the levitating collar and leash.”

Keonhee looked amused for a moment, cracking a brighter smile, and when it passed, his face went back to looking as indifferent as always. Youngjo wished it didn’t have to happen, but he guessed Keonhee was still not warmed up to him enough to see him as more than just a slightly inconvenient visitor. He hoped to upgrade to at least an inconvenient suitor as soon as possible.

“So, today, it’s just property damage?” Keonhee asked him.

“Yeah, and completely accidental. I already offered to pay for the damages-”

“You’re saying some other things you’ve done weren’t accidental?”

Youngjo zipped his mouth shut. He mustered his most faux-genuinely confused look. “No, that’s not what I mean. I-I mean, I didn’t think the thestral would break free, it was an honest mistake. No one’s even pressing charges, I’m just here to sign some papers that I’m taking full responsibility for the damage done and to pay the fine for illegal thestral possession. I don’t even have a statement to make since they already questioned all witnesses and me over there.”

Keonhee hummed, pushing himself on the chair a little higher to face Youngjo better. “I see. You’re just such an unlucky guy you keep coming back here, huh.”

“Wouldn’t call it unlucky,” Youngjo felt the corners of his mouth lift. “I get to see you each time, don’t I.”

Keonhee sighed. He didn’t sound as tired as he did the day before, and Youngjo dared to believe the man was getting used to his antics. “And that makes it worth it?”

“Definitely.” Youngjo full-on grinned. 

“Tell me more about the thestral.”

“Hm?”

“What were you doing with it, and where is it now?”

“Oh, I was supposed to meet up with a man who takes care of a herd of thestrals in Wales. He wanted to adopt Billy, the thestral I had with me, and take him back home so he can have a new family. Billy belonged to one elderly wizard who recently passed away so I was assigned to take care of him. Thestrals don’t like being on their own so joining a herd was the best option for him.”

“So he’s on his way to his new home now?” Keonhee asked, tilting his head a little as he paid attention to Youngjo’s words. Uh-oh, he was cute. “Wait, you said he’s outside, right? How so?”

“Well,” Youngjo chuckled, playing with his fingers. “Technically, he’s been confiscated, that is, brought in here until I pay the fine and sign all necessary papers. His new caretaker is somewhere inside too, updating the Ministry about his herd growing in numbers. So Billy is just chilling outside, safe and secured, waiting to be taken.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Keonhee huffed. “First they made it a big deal that you brought him to Diagon Alley, and now he’s just standing outside the Ministry on the pavement?”

“To be completely honest, thestrals are XXXX in the classification, so they’re deemed highly dangerous. I can see why they aren’t supposed to appear in certain places even if under supervision, but yeah, guess the Ministry didn’t know what to do in case one of them gets here and needs to be escorted out of the city safely. I’m the only local specialist, the next one is at Hogwarts. I think some Ministry workers are actually scared of Billy, there are Aurors outside who are watching over him, but I’m not sure they want to get close to him, so. He’s just hanging out until someone goes to him.”

Keonhee looked sad and upset. He was looking at Youngjo in a way that made him feel like he’d done something bad, which he hadn’t, at least today. “Didn’t you say thestrals don’t like being on their own?”

“Yeah, they’re social creatures.”

“And Billy is out there basically alone?”

“Only temporarily, for a few minutes,” Youngjo frowned. “He’s calmed down now and will be brought home soon enough. There wasn’t anything else we could do for him until his caretaker gets the paperwork done, or I’m done with my part.”

Keonhee pursed his lips, his eyebrows knitted together. “It still sounds rather unfair. He had a stressful thing happen to him and got left alone immediately after.”

Youngjo started to shrug, feeling hopeless, but suddenly, an idea hit him. His eyes shone.

“Would you like to go out to see him?”

“Pardon?”

“I can take you to Billy so you can meet him? I’d get you two acquainted so you can pet him. Have you ever petted a thestral?”

Keonhee looked astounded. “No, I haven’t.”

“See, this is the perfect occasion,” Youngjo smiled cheerfully, “they’re very rare but this one is right outside your doors, waiting to meet you. What’s stopping you?”

Keonhee glanced around. “My job…”

“It’ll be just a few moments, you’ll just cram up more after you’re back, or cut your break shorter.”

Keonhee only gaped in response, so Youngjo continued. “This is your chance to meet a very rare species, aren’t you curious? You can always say you went there to inspect it and needed me as both the specialist and person responsible. Come on!”

Keonhee looked torn, shifting on his seat as if he wanted to get up but physically couldn’t. He threw a few glances around before he finally stood up. “Okay, take me to Billy.”

Youngjo grinned so widely he could swear his cheeks pulled a muscle.

As the two of them made their way through the Ministry corridors towards the exit, Youngjo couldn’t help but steal a few glances at his companion. His straight posture, long legs, firm strut. He wasn’t much taller than Youngjo, but his long limbs made him seem very tall and thin. Youngjo wondered for a sec what it must feel to be embraced by those long arms that swung gently by his sides.

Once out, Keonhee started to look around to spot the Aurors assigned to watch over the animal. His long strides took him over there faster than Youngjo.

“Where is he?” Keonhee asked one of the Aurors. “The thestral.”

The woman vaguely pointed to her side with a small shrug, proving that she herself wasn’t entirely sure where exactly the animal stood. Keonhee hesitated for a moment, and Youngjo used this occasion to slowly but surely walk into that direction, with his hand outstretched in front of him so he could find the animal faster. The moment he noticed the rope used as the leash, his hand made contact with a slick and cold surface, invisible to the naked eye.

“Found him.”

Keonhee joined him in a mere second, his eyes wide and shiny but not focused on anything as he too couldn’t see the thestral. He slowly raised his hand just as Youngjo started to trace his own along the side of the animal, feeling every rib poking through the thin and wet skin. Keonhee’s hand froze midway, hesitant, but after a short pause and an encouraging smile from Youngjo, he reached over and placed his palm on the thestral, sliding it until it rested on its knobby spine.

“Oh, wow…” he gasped. He was running his fingers across the animal’s back with such delicacy it seemed he was worried he could somehow break it.

“He’s wonderful, isn’t he?” Youngjo smiled broadly, finding the animal’s long neck with his careful fingertips. Billy finally let out a hum, relaxing under their touch after first having tensed at the sudden appearance of the two. He put his muzzle closer to Youngjo’s hand, demanding to be stroked there. Youngjo chuckled and complied.

“He’s something else,” Keonhee replied after a moment, his eyes glistening with wonder. “It’s weird because… this shouldn’t be a pleasant sensation, it’s a cold and wet skin on an animal that feels like it’s starved… But I can’t stop petting him?”

Youngjo hummed in understatement. “Thestrals are magical like that. They’re unique and very gentle, even if they love raw meat. Also, they’re highly intelligent and empathetic.” Billy let out a low whine in agreement, earning himself extra petting.

Keonhee smiled. It was a shy smile, personal, one that felt like it wasn’t meant for anyone’s curious eyes. Youngjo averted his eyes and focused on the thestral, but he too couldn’t help a small smile from blooming on his face.

After a few minutes, Keonhee spoke up again. “It makes me realize just how little magical creatures I’ve ever met. There are so many wonderful animals out there and I’m here, swamped with work, just continuously curious about them.”

“You can take a few days off, I’m sure,” Youngjo suggested, walking around the thestral’s head to stand on his opposite side, facing Keonhee.

“I really can’t,” Keonhee sighed. “I’m the head of the office, everything has to go through me.”

“Don’t you have a second in command on something?”

“I do have a stand-in, but I wouldn’t want to put all this work onto him. That’d be cruel.”

Youngjo needed a moment to process it. “But you’re fine with doing all that yourself?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m used to it.”

Youngjo hummed in response, not sure how to reply. He worried he might anger Keonhee if he pressed further. “If you’d like to know some more about various magical creatures, I’m here, you know.”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Well…”

“With that criminal record?”

Youngjo sighed, feeling a pout form on his lips. “It’s all small and accidental, I swear.”

“And happens daily.”

“Is seeing me daily that bothersome?”

“Not really, no. But it’s worrisome.”

Youngjo once again wasn’t sure how to reply, feeling rather speechless.

They stood there in silence for a few minutes, petting the animal as if it wasn’t Keonhee’s working hours, and as if the Aurors weren’t looking at them funny. Billy was quiet too, but somehow, despite not being able to see the animal, both of the men knew he was content like this, petted and with the company. Keonhee managed to touch his snout, feel it up and have the animal press into his hand, pleased with the attention. Keonhee slowly started to look like a kid on Christmas Day, all smiles and excitement even if he kept quiet.

After a while, the new caretaker came out of the exit and saw the two grown men petting the animal as the Aurors watched from a distance.

“Ready to go, Invisibilly?” he asked once he walked up to them, his hand immediately wandering under the thestral’s muzzle as if he wanted to look into its eye. “Thanks for letting me know about him, Youngjo.”

“No problem!” Youngjo smiled, watching as the caretaker untied the animal’s leash. “Take care of him, Dongju.”

“You know I will.”

The man and the thestral walked away before they apparated to their home, vanishing right in front of Keonhee and Youngjo. The Aurors dispersed right away as they headed back to their office, but Keonhee for some reason lingered there. His gaze stayed fixated on the place where the thestral disappeared mere seconds ago. Youngjo still had his errands to run, but he too couldn’t walk away just yet, standing right next to Keonhee instead, in a way keeping him company just as the both of them did with Billy before.

Finally, he spoke. “I’m glad you liked him.”

Keonhee blinked, his mind getting back to where his body was. “Yeah, I did. I’ve never seen- well, I’ve never met a thestral before. I’m glad I got the chance.”

He looked sideways, locking his eyes with Youngjo. Before any of them said anything else, Keonhee moved his head to the other side, clearing his throat. “I gotta get back to work. I’ve been away for too long and I have a lot of things to do.”

“Yes, of course. Have a nice afternoon.”

“Thank you.” Keonhee hesitated before he made brief eye contact again. “I mean it. Thank you, Youngjo.”

Keonhee left, his brisk steps echoing against the walls of the secret Ministry entrance, but Youngjo stayed rooted in his spot. His lips felt like they were buzzing with the need to smile as widely as he could. It was progress. Maybe a small step, but Keonhee looked past him being a nuisance and that was enough for now. 

Youngjo hit a jackpot today. He found a connection: a way to Keonhee’s heart, or at least a way close to it.

And the way just happened to be both Youngjo’s passion and his job. Coincidentally, also the way he used to get to see Keonhee.

Things fell perfectly into place. 


	2. Of Pixies and Paint

A set of footsteps could be heard in the relatively quiet office. Keonhee didn’t even glance up from his written statistics when the steps came to a halt by his desk and a pair of eyes glued to his neck.

“Good morning, Youngjo. What are you carrying today?”

Youngjo smiled widely. He set the carrier covered with a cloth on Keonhee’s desk with a quiet clatter, mindful of the various files stacked there. Keonhee saw it in the corner of his eye and quickly got curious, closing the book in front of him and pushing it to the side. He reached a tentative hand towards the transporter.

Youngjo clasped his own hands together and took a deep breath, “Pixies.”

Keonhee froze, his gaze fixated on the cage in front of him, before he slowly raised his eyes to look at Youngjo. Confusion and apprehension swam in his irises. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Are they dead?”

“No! What the hell?” Youngjo scoffed, offended, before he reminded himself to keep quiet. He glanced around, hoping no one thought his sudden outburst required an intervention. They were on the floor filled with officers, after all. Youngjo knew other office workers wouldn’t be too happy with what he brought with, so he wished that no one paid attention to him and Keonhee. He didn’t fancy being escorted out and having the small creatures taken away.

“Then why are they so quiet?” Keonhee asked, still apprehensive. He was inspecting the carrier with narrowed eyes. 

“They’re sedated. Safely, of course. I wouldn’t just bring awake pixies to the Ministry, they’re way too lively and mischievous.”

Keonhee pursed his lips together and muttered, “That’s why I got worried.”

“And then you thought I brought you dead pixies?”

“I have never seen pixies that wouldn’t be causing a ruckus of astronomic size!” Keonhee grumbled, pushing his chair away from his desk. “You brought them for me?”

Youngjo hummed in affirmation. “Figured you may have never seen them up close. Am I right?” Keonhee nodded, his eyes going back and forth between Youngjo and the carrier. “One nature reserve wanted me to look after them as they do some work on their home. I decided to carry them here for you to have a look. Now,“ Youngjo motioned to the transporter. “Don’t be shy.” 

“Are you sure it’s safe to remove the cloth?” Keonhee bit his lip. “Won’t it just make them wake up and go wild? This is a decently quiet office, you know, we value our peace.”

“It’s completely safe. Trust me, I’m a specialist. I’m trained to get the situation under control in case anything happens, but nothing will, I assure you.”

Keonhee threw him an unsure glance. They’ve been doing this for a while now; Youngjo would smuggle in a magical creature so Keonhee could observe them to his heart’s content, as a rare or possibly one in a lifetime opportunity for him. Usually, the animals were small, palm-sized or insect-sized: Youngjo brought in a doxy, an appaloosa puffskein, a moke, a horklump, even one chupacabra for which he did have to ask Keonhee to join him outside and omitted questions where he got it from. In his heart, Youngjo believed Keonhee started to warm up to him, maybe even began to look forward to his little almost-daily visits, even if only because they meant Youngjo came bearing gifts on his way to the Wizengamot.

With slight hesitation, Keonhee reached over and grabbed the hem of the grey blanket thrown over the cage. He took the cloth off with a quick move and closed his eyes tightly, expecting a scare. He seemed to hold his breath for a few tense seconds before he released it and relaxed his shoulders, realizing nothing broke the silence. He shifted closer to the desk after it was clear that the pixies remained unmoving.

The small creatures laid in a pile despite there being plenty of space for them. Their tiny chests moved with each breath, their mouths were open, some of them had their fists balled up under their heads to serve as a pillow, very much like humans did. They gave the impression of peaceful and cute animals if someone dared to forget how disastrous they could get. Youngjo couldn’t help but draw the comparison between Keonhee observing the model dragon, the first one he brought not that long ago, and him watching the pixies now. His eyes were big and shiny but focused, darting slowly across the cage, paying attention to probably every pixie inside, studying them. His lips were slightly parted, be it in awe or focus. His hands stayed at his sides as if he wasn’t too sure whether he could touch the cage or not. Youngjo appreciated his caution. Pixies were a ticking bomb even when they were asleep, but he knew it was a one of a kind opportunity to show them off.

“They aren’t that scary when they’re sleeping,” Keonhee pointed out, a small smile dancing on his lips.

Youngjo nodded. “Most creatures look peaceful like that. While asleep, they’re the most vulnerable and have most of their guards down. For some species, it’s the only instance where you can see them up close and live long to tell about it.”

“And when are they going to start waking up?”

Youngjo raised his hand to look at his wristwatch. “In a few. If I leave in five-six minutes, I’ll make it out before any of them open their eyes.”

“How will you go to the Wizengamot if you need to get outside with the pixies so soon?” Keonhee asked, tilting his head, his eyes confused and worried.

Youngjo felt giddiness and warmth spread in his chest. He smiled proudly. “Oh, I’m not going to the Wizengamot today. I’m free.”

Keonhee frowned. “Then why are you here?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I wanted to show you the pixies.”

A beat. Two beats. Keonhee blinked and leaned backward, confused. “This can’t be right, how would you get in here if you didn’t have a scheduled appointment? They don’t allow visits unless it’s family.”

“I told the security I’m here to see you,” Youngjo shrugged, “they saw us with the thestral, so they let me in without any questions. They know we know each other. And well, they’re also used to my presence here, so I guess they let me in out of reflex.”

Keonhee got silent again. Youngjo felt himself become rather uneasy in the quiet as he didn’t know what to make out of it. Did he overstep any boundaries? He thought Keonhee wouldn’t mind if he dropped by with a short visit, especially a timed one like now with pixies. So far, Keonhee liked everything he brought here to show, so Youngjo assumed he was given a green light to introduce him to other magical species, especially those that not many people got to see for many reasons, even if he wasn’t summoned to the Wizengamot on that day. Maybe he assumed wrong. After all, they weren’t friends, he was just judging based on Keonee’s obvious curiosity. He just wanted to see the wonder in Keonhee’s eyes again.

Youngjo felt the spark that has been burning lightly in him sizzle into nothingness. He reached over for the cloth to cover the cage again.

“Wait, you said you have a few minutes left,” Keonhee suddenly spoke up, his hand shooting forward to grab Youngjo by his wrist. “Why are you going so soon?”

“I don’t want to impose on you for too long, I’m interrupting you at work.”

Keonhee scoffed. “And how did that stop you before?”

Youngjo looked down, feeling ashamed. Keonhee squeezed his wrist. “Come on! Let me look at them a little longer. I don’t know when will be the next time I get to see pixies outside of pictures.”

“Hopefully not too soon,” Youngjo murmured, but let go of the blanket, leaving the carrier uncovered. Keonhee took his hand away from Youngjo’s wrist and put it on his lap, clasping both of his palms together. Youngjo put his into his coat’s pockets. “They’re still very much irritating.”

The corners of Keonhee’s lips went up a little. Youngjo allowed himself to feel a bit hopeful again. “Yeah, you’re presenting them to me in a much more bearable version. Thank you for thinking of me, by the way. You surprised me, but I’m really happy you did.”

Youngjo felt himself smile. “Does that mean I can drop by if I have something to show you? Won’t you get mad?”

“It still depends,” Keonhee scrunched his nose, “some days here are more chill than others. Sometimes I’m happy for a distraction, and sometimes I can’t afford one. If you dropped by an hour earlier today, I would have just kicked you out.”

“That bad?”

“Even worse. Had to do paperwork on myself.” Keonhee visibly cringed, his face scrunching up and his hands closing into fists. “I mean, Eunha did most of it since technically I can’t make a report on myself, but as her supervisor, I had to sign the final papers because my stand-in has a day off.”

Youngjo whistled before he could stop himself. “You’ve got yourself a complaint? What did you do? Is it still here?” He asked, looking over the stacks of paper on Keonhee’s desk. The man grumbled and grabbed the files before shoving them into a drawer.

“That’s confidential! But yeah, I’ve got a complaint. Several, actually.”

“Several?!” Youngjo gasped out loud, his hand flying to his chest in a dramatic gesture. Keonhee scoffed, visibly growing more unnerved.

“Yes, because my neighbor is an old prick who thinks I scribble with a feather too loudly,” he huffed. “He’s like a suburban monitor, I feel like he’s observing me just to see whenever I do something even remotely improper.”

Youngjo raised his brows at the sudden information dump, but he couldn’t be happier to be the person Keonhee chose to confide in. “He’s snitching on you? To your workplace?”

“Yeah.”

“But that’s so… I don’t even know what to say.”

Keonhee shrugged, a bitter smile on his face. “Neither do we. Technically, he has the right to report me, even if the things he complains about are always blown out of proportion or just stupid. But, he never lies. That’s the thing. They always have to come by and inspect if my garbage container is 2 centimeters on his lawn, if I’m not having a party by listening to music so loud, and so on. Numerous times he contacted authorities because he saw me going home late at night and thought someone was breaking into my house.”

“Sounds like a nightmare,” Youngjo agreed, “I can’t imagine how it must feel like, to watch over your every step just so an overly nosy neighbor gets out of your hair.”

Keonhee shook his head. “No, I don’t watch over my steps. I can’t have him dictate my life.”

“What’s your solution, then?”

“Don’t have any,” Keonhee grumbled, crossing his arms on his chest. “If I did, I wouldn’t have left a signature on a complaint about me today, I wouldn’t have to. I need to figure something out.”

“I hope you do that soon.”

“I will, no need to worry about me.” Keonhee leaned back in his chair, giving one last glance at the carrier full of sleeping pixies as he tapped his fingers against the desk. “I think you should be going now. I don’t want to keep you too long.”

Youngjo grabbed the blanket. “You’re right,” he said, throwing it over the cage. The pixies were going to wake up soon. “Thank you for not throwing me out.”

“Don’t thank me, thank the pixies,” Keonhee murmured, but there was a smile on his face. A light one, the type you would have when you’re content and relaxed. It looked good on him. “Give them a kiss from me.”

“Aw, they’re getting kisses from you faster than me?”

“See you, Youngjo.”

Youngjo hugged the cage close to his chest and allowed himself to smile widely.

“See you, Keonhee.”

~

“Visiting again or are you on your way to Wizengamot?”

“You know, I think you started to recognize me by my footsteps. Kinda weird, but also very flattering.”

Keonhee looked up to send him a glare. Youngjo flashed his pearly white teeth. “Yes, I’m going to Wizengamot this time, you’re right.”

“What did you do today?” Keonhee raised one of his eyebrows, judging Youngjo with his eyes.

“I haven’t done anything in quite a while now, excuse you. I’ve been here every day for the past week and it’s been just visits, I’m clean.”

“But today you admitted you’re going to court, and you didn’t bring me a gift this time, so you must really have a reason to be here. So, what did you do?”

“Nothing. I’m a witness.” Youngjo shrugged.

“To what?”

“Someone tried to sell a wizard transformed into a crow, and I was present when he got turned back.”

Keonhee almost choked on an inhale, immediately standing up, his eyes big and shiny. “You were there?! You saw the failed Animagus turning back human?”

“Yeah, I did,” Youngjo replied and realized he took a step back out of instinct as a reaction to Keonhee’s sudden outburst. He tentatively stepped closer. “An unregistered Animagus who didn’t know how to reverse the spell. Luckily, the potential customer noticed something was wrong and knew what to do. The clerk was completely clueless and says she thought it was just a normal bird. I just happened to be there to buy nutrients.”

Keonhee shook his head in disbelief and plopped down back on his chair. “Incredible. Somehow whenever something bigger happens, you’re involved one way or another.”

“Not if it’s your neighbor reporting,” Youngjo grinned, gaining an icy glare from Keonhee. “So you could say it’s always one of us.”

“Funny,” Keonhee rolled his eyes and shuffled his chair closer to the desk. “How was it, though? The Animagus incident. It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before.”

Youngjo snickered, leaning against Keonhee’s desk. “You haven’t heard of unregistered Animagi? Please, there must be plenty of them.”

“No, I know there are, I’m not a fool,” Keonhee swiped his hand like he was trying to push away the nonsensical idea. “But this is the first time I’m hearing about someone being able to transform themselves completely into their animal without knowing how to turn back. I don’t believe it has ever happened before, at least not to my knowledge. It was always the cases of partial transmutation, and those could get gruesome. This man should consider himself lucky.” He shook his head. “This is why he should have contacted the Ministry before attempting to do it all on his own. It’s clear it backfired because no one was there to observe the process. It’s ridiculous.”

Youngjo pondered for a moment. “I guess since it’s so unheard of, that man didn’t assume he wouldn’t be able to turn back. Maybe he thought he’s ready, which he was, in a way. Becoming an Animagus is a lengthy process even without waiting for the Ministry’s approval. Luckily nothing bad happened, he wasn’t in danger like those for whom it didn’t go well.”

“Only because someone helped him out,” Keonhee scoffed. “The Ministry would have made it safer for him.”

“Have you considered that not everyone likes to do things according to the Ministry?”

A silence fell. Youngjo started to feel a little hot on the neck under Keonhee’s unmoving eyes. Keonhee was glaring.

“I don’t mean it in the ‘fuck the rules’ way, come on,” Youngjo explained. “All I’m saying is that not everyone has the time or patience for their decisions to get on paper after someone formally approves of them. The personal agendas they have aren’t always harmful. They think they can do something on their own and a lot of time, they do.”

“Or they end up hurting themselves,” Keonhee grumbled. “And the Ministry has to take care of that, and clean whatever mess they made.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m saying what others might be thinking. But I guess something like this coming from me, a frequent visitor to the Wizengamot, doesn’t mean much.” Youngjo chuckled before he glanced at his wristwatch. “Speaking of, I should be going soon.”

Keonhee shook his head. “But it’s different with you. You’re going there as a witness, not as a suspect. You’re not doing anything outside of the Ministry's approval.”

“Yeah, not _anymore_ ,” Youngjo laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I only stopped going there a little over a week ago. Before that, and you know it well, I was constantly brought to justice for bigger and smaller stuff done against the law. Not to mention, some of the means by which I did certain things weren’t strictly allowed, either. Just because I’m a specialist doesn’t mean I am always permitted to own, or borrow, or do this or that, but people tend to forget about it.” He smiled, his shoulders rising in a small shrug. “It was all fixable, and I willingly faced the consequences for breaking the law, but that doesn’t mean I won’t truthfully say doing things without informing the authorities is faster. And, frankly? It’s quite exciting, too.”

Keonhee sighed and his mouth twisted a bit. “You’re a menace to society.”

“But I’m harmless, you can vouch for that. All I did was in good faith, and the bad results always got fixed, so what’s wrong with a little fun on the way? As long as it’s moderated and under control, and we know what we get into. There is some risk, but the risk is everywhere, so what’s wrong with pushing your own luck from time to time?”

“You’re making it sound like you’ve done some of the things that brought you here on purpose, and not accidentally like you’ve claimed thus far,” Keonhee pointed out, lifting his chin up a bit in a silent challenge.

Youngjo paused for a moment before he raised his eyebrows, taken aback. “I thought you’ve figured this out sooner, you know, being the reason for it and all.”

Keonhee opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. He gaped, blinking fast, trying to gather his thoughts. Youngjo sent him a smile.

“Really gotta go now. See you next time, Keonhee.”

He turned on his heel and headed towards the exit. He almost stepped out onto the corridor.

“Youngjo, wait!”

The sounds of scraping a chair against the floor made Youngjo look back. Keonhee was walking his way, a determined expression on his face.

“Are you free tonight? It’s not a date. But I’ll need you for something.”

Youngjo could only gawk in surprise for a little while before Keonhee visibly started to grow impatient. “Yes! Yes, I’m free. For you, always.”

“Perfect,” Keonhee smiled pleasantly but something mischievous danced in his eyes. Youngjo would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued. “Meet me by the guest entrance at 11 pm sharp. If you’re late by a second, I’m going by myself.”

“Oh, I’ll be 10 minutes before!”

“No. You’ll look like you’re trying to break in.”

“Why-”

“You look suspicious. It’s your face. No offense. You always look like you’re plotting something.”

Youngjo didn’t have a comeback for that so he admitted defeat with a small sigh. “Alright, I’ll arrive just in time. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. I’ll tell you on the way.”

“Oh, a surprise?”

“You could say that, yeah. Now go to the hearing before that start looking for you.”

~

The accidental banging of paint cans was loud enough for Keonhee to finally lose patience and run back to Youngjo to cast a muffling spell on them, all hissing words and quick movements. Now the cans could keep hitting each other and no one in the area would hear a thing, even Youngjo who was carrying them as Keonhee led the way. It was a very quiet street and most of the lights in the houses were already turned off as it took the two of them quite some time to get here.

"We could have just put them in an enchanted bag, you know," Youngjo piped up with a smirk that only grew bigger once Keonhee turned around to give him a stinky eye. "This way there’d be less commotion and I’d look less suspicious carrying them around.”

“Hush,” Keonhee hissed, looking back, “it was a momentary idea, okay? I invited you before I even knew what I was gonna do. I just knew I had to do _something_. I just grabbed the paints, grabbed you, and went with the gut feeling.”

“The gut feeling to break the law?” Youngjo chuckled. The air was fresh and pleasant after an earlier rain, it made him feel oddly awake despite the nearing midnight and an early wakeup. “Mister Ministry worker? Is this your corruption arc?”

The murderous look Keonhee sent his way only made him want to kiss the man even more than ever.

“Just be quiet and walk before we catch any attention, please.”

They moved in silence for a while, passing by quiet houses where almost everyone was fast asleep, making their homes seem vacant from the outside. No one was watching but it still felt like they had to be careful in case they were being observed. Youngjo has never been to this part of the city so his inner nature lover was casting quick looks all around as he walked along the road riddled with puddles, paying attention to the flora and fauna of the estate, being wary of his surroundings. So far, nothing magical has been spotted by his keen eye, however, he noticed a few regular bird nests and one hollow in a tree that could just as easily house a squirrel as it could something less mundane and possibly more sinister. They passed the tree too fast for him to make more observations about it.

“Here’s me,” Keonhee murmured after he stopped, at last, pointing to a small house with a clean lawn and a cobbled pathway. “And here’s him.”

Youngjo’s eyes followed where Keonhee was pointing to his neighbor’s house. It wasn’t big either, only slightly bigger than Keonhee’s, and looked pretty much the same as all the other houses around in this area: painted beige, well-kept, pristine, with the grass nicely trimmed and the porch and three steps properly swept, not a single thing out of order, a picture-perfect lawn.

Youngjo hummed. “And you’re saying he’s the asshole?”

“The biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever encountered,” Keonhee nodded, his expression turning sour as if he bit on something horrible in taste. “He’s loud, obnoxious, and constantly bothers the Ministry but somehow it’s always me being the bad guy. He called today again, and I wasn’t even home. Enough.”

“So you decided to vandalize his house?”

“Yeah. Give him an actual reason to be mad about since he’s so keen on having me as his personal demon.”

Youngjo would whistle if he didn’t worry that’d come out too loud and get them noticed. “That’s…” he paused and chuckled quietly, breathily. “Well, I don’t even know what to say. I think most people wouldn’t want to fill in the shoes of an annoying neighbor’s expectations and prove them right.”

“Well, most people wouldn’t have agreed to accompany me either, and yet here you are. Here we are.”

“To my defense, that’s cause I’m so smitten with you I would have just done anything you’d ask me for. And not gonna lie, spite is a good look on you.”

“Oh, stop it. Hand me one of the cans.”

Youngjo grinned brightly but did as he was told. He opened the second can with his hands in the time it took Keonhee to whip out his wand and murmur a spell. If it wasn’t for the previously casted muffling charm, the cans would have by definition let out a series of giggles after being opened, reminding the owner of what their intended use is for. The paint itself was white, or maybe gray, very inconspicuous-looking in the darkness of the night. Youngjo quickly caught up to Keonhee who walked closer to the house and put the can by his foot, ready to begin.

“Any particular wishes?” Youngjo asked, watching as his companion used magic to make a portion of the paint float in the air. Keonhee shrugged before he nudged his wand and began writing his first word. “Not really. Just don’t write anything like ‘Youngjo was here’. That’s embarrassing.”

“I- Why would I do that!”

“You’re unpredictable! And corny!”

Youngjo pouted before he began to write as well, moving his wand gently and with precision. “There’s a chance they won’t know who did it, I wouldn’t incriminate myself like this.”

“You’ve spent the last few weeks doing small offenses just to get caught, that’s literally incriminating yourself.”

“Yeah, to see you?”

Keonhee sighed. “You could have just asked, you know. Without all the scheming. It’s you who chose the other way around, with the animals and whatnot.”

Youngjo froze midway through writing the word ‘asshat’. “Wait, what?”

“What, what?”

“You would have agreed if I asked you out?”

“Yes?” Keonhee furrowed his eyebrows at the question, not tearing his eyes away from his writing. “I like spending time together with you, I mean I asked you to accompany me tonight, didn’t I? So what makes you think I’d refuse if you asked me out?”

Youngjo blinked and realized he'd stopped moving until now, so he shook out of it and continued to paint the wall with slow movements as his head buzzed with the new information. His ears felt incredibly warm despite the chilly night. He had no idea why. “Thought I’m here so you don’t have to do the entire work by yourself.”

“Partially true,” Keonhee hummed. “But also because I enjoy your company? I could have asked someone else but I chose you cause I knew you’d help and that with you it’d be… the nicest.”

“The nicest?”

Keonhee pulled his cheeks in, chewing on words. “Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

“No, Keonhee, I’m honestly confused. Up until now, I thought I mostly bothered you and that you just tolerated me at most, only because thanks to me you got to see many magical creatures, not that you enjoyed me being around.” Youngjo dropped his hand with the wand and decided to face Keonhee instead. “I wanted you to like me but I thought it would take me a long while before you’d start to, with how much I seem to annoy you.”

Keonhee cast his eyes downwards. “Perhaps I act too up-tight for it to be clear, but I do like you, Youngjo. In fact, I’m kind of terribly fond of you. Even if you are annoying and quite bothersome.” Keonhee glanced at him. “But I guess I am horrid, too. I’m very snippy. In a way, it makes sense we fit together. You’re sleazy and I’m a prick.”

“A prick that I enjoy seeing, though,” Youngjo piped in, feeling mushy until his own words dawned on him. He frowned. “Huh. That sounds a bit inappropriate.”

Keonhee huffed out a laugh. His eyes crinkled with amusement. It looked really pretty on him. “It does, but I don’t mind. I’ve grown used to you being very forward and bold. I quite like it.”

Youngjo felt like _floating._ “You really like me?”

“Stop acting so surprised,” Keonhee whined, his shoulders hunching. “Yes, I do. Yeah, I don’t express it well but you make my day.”

“Go out with me.”

“I’m busy.”

“I didn’t mean now?!” Youngjo sputtered but it turned into a breathy laugh. “Tomorrow, after work. I’ll take you somewhere nice.”

Keonhee hummed, resuming his writing. “Will I have to dress nicely?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay then. I’ll see you.”

Youngjo positively beamed. He reached down with his wand, feeling motivated to work. He had a nice perspective for tomorrow and a lot of ideas to organize for his future date with Keonhee.

But because of his head being elsewhere, Youngjo didn’t notice that the two of them were no longer alone.

“Now what the hell-- what is going on here?! Keonhee Lee, what are you- what- WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HOUSE?”

Youngjo’s hand froze, the word ‘bastard’ not even finished yet. However, he didn’t need to finish writing it himself. The paint seemed to get the idea, and the last two letters appeared on their own even if both of the men on the lawn stopped moving. They were looking in the direction of the front door of the house they’ve been vandalizing, where an old man in his pajamas stood, gaping at his intruders.

A moment later, all the written insults started to shine at once. They sparkled in many colors, ever-changing, glowing brightly. And then they giggled, the sound carrying across the empty street and the sleepy homes of the neighbors. They cackled, mocking the owner of the house that had various insults and profanities painted on the front wall.

~

The handcuffs were a familiar weight on his wrists but seeing them on Keonhee was something new, even if Keonhee himself did his best to seem unphased. Only his slightly trembling knees and a jerky way of shifting his body betrayed how unsettled he actually was, sitting in front of the courtroom and waiting to be called inside together with the former regular of hearings.

“How long until we go in?” Youngjo asked after a while, seeing how the silence could have only added to Keonhee’s nerves.

Keonhee visibly flinched at the sudden question, clearly used to the quiet, but he quickly composed himself. He cleared his throat, most likely trying to get rid of the stress-induced tightness there. “Around 15 minutes left. Well, actually it’s 10, but they often take a while before they’re all seated down, even if the offense is as insignificant as ours. Plus it’s very early morning so they might be groggy and slow.”

“Well,” Youngjo chuckled, shifting a bit closer to Keonhee. “The offense is small but I’m sure your neighbor thinks it’s a decently big deal, especially with the amount of sexual innuendos that are about to come out.”

The tips of Keonhee’s ears burned deep red. “I didn’t know there would be so many perverted phrases. Thought it’d be just insults changing their places on the walls, I had no idea the paint would further create new words.”

“Unfortunately it does. You wanted profanities and sexual ones are the easiest type to come up with, plus we used a lot of words starting with ‘ass-’, so. We kinda should have seen it coming.”

Keonhee opened his mouth but soon closed it, hanging his head low. A short silence fell. Youngjo could feel it wasn’t a good type of silence so he felt inclined to break it again. He didn’t want Keonhee to beat himself up over doing something unpredictable for once. He shifted in his seat. “His face was priceless, though.”

His companion let out a hum. “You think so?”

“I _know_ so. The moment he realized the words change when he tries to get rid of them?” Youngjo whistled. “The pure shock, the almost comical anger. Man, it was a sight to behold.”

A small smile bloomed on Keonhee’s face. He looked up. “That’s true, he looked like he’ll remember it.”

“He looked like he was going to burst a vein! He’ll know not to mess with you anymore. I doubt he’d want to try something after you’ve given him such a head-scratcher.”

Keonhee lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Youngjo. His smile seemed to grow warmer the longer he kept eye contact. “Thank you.”

“For what? I only carried the paints since you didn’t want to drag a bag around and needed an extra pair of hands.”

“That’s not true, plus it’s not what I meant. You know what you did, silly. You encouraged me to do it.”

“To commit a crime?! I’m awful!”

Keonhee whacked his shoulder with both of his hands balled together. Youngjo didn’t even try to avoid the attack, knowing he had it coming.

“You’re so annoying,” Keonhee huffed out, moving a bit closer. “You know what I mean. I had fun tonight. It was what I needed to do to let loose a little and to get back at that god-awful man next door. And getting to spend time with you was a bonus.”

Youngjo grinned brightly. “Does this count as the first date? Or is it date zero, since I’m taking you out tomorrow? I’m trying to determine whether I’m getting a kiss tonight or not.”

“You’re so greasy!”

“Youngjo Kim, Keonhee Lee,” a security guard approached them as a few people passed by their seats on the way to the hearing room. “I’m going to come fetch you in about five minutes. Please stay seated.”

Keonhee snorted loudly. “Wasn’t going anywhere with those bracelets, Seoho, but thank you for the heads-up. I’ll try to not hide in the bathroom before you come back.”

The security guard sighed, probably used to Keonhee’s way with words, and went inside of the courtroom. Keonhee watched him go before he faced Youngjo again, angling his body towards the man. “I know you’re joking around a lot, we both do, but I really mean it. Thank you for tonight.”

Youngjo raised his eyebrows, a bit taken back, but didn’t even get to utter a single word before Keonhee closed the distance between them and joined their lips together. Youngjo managed only to gasp softly at the sensation, completely surprised before Keonhee already moved away. There was blush powdered on the apples of his cheeks as his eyes fluttered open but he didn’t look shy; quite the opposite. Keonhee was keeping eye contact with him, his eyes holding gratitude and warmth as well as a strange pull in them.

Youngjo let himself be pulled. This time he moved forward to initiate the kiss, angling himself so he could shift even closer when their lips touched. As their mouths slot together again, Keonhee’s hands appeared on his cheeks, the handcuffs under Youngjo’s chin as Keonhee angled his face to kiss him better and deeper, moving slowly but surely. Youngjo exhaled through his nose, feeling absolutely pleasant, letting Keonhee in when his tongue touched his bottom lip.

“Keonhee, on Merlin’s beard, you could have waited until it’s over to mingle with your boy. I didn’t ask to see this?”

Keonhee broke the kiss with an annoyed sigh and sent the returning guard a glare. “Neither did anyone ask you to be here and watch?”

“I’ve come to fetch you! It’s literally my job.”

“You could have called our names instead of getting all up in our business.”

“You know it doesn’t work like that!”

Youngjo chuckled under his nose, feeling a pleasant buzzing coming from his lips all the way down to his fingertips. He leaned closer to rest his forehead against Keonhee’s temple. He felt content, the most content he’s felt in quite a while. “Let’s get it over with. We’ll finish afterwards.”

“If you promise,” Keonhee hummed, reaching over to give Youngjo’s hand a little squeeze. “Let’s see how your connections combined with mine will work this time. The power of ties.”

“Maybe they’ll thank us for pulling a prank on your neighbor? You said he keeps calling on you all the time, maybe they’re tired of him too,” Youngjo joked.

“Oh, that old fart?” the Seoho guy spoke up, reminding them of his presence. “Everyone was talking about him when we got here. I think they did find your prank funny.”

Youngjo laughed but Keonhee continued to glare. “Get lost, Seoho!”

“I literally can’t, I have to take you to court! Please let me do my job?” Seoho whined, a petulant child in a work uniform.

Youngjo stood up and pulled Keonhee with him. “Let’s go. We’ll have the entire night afterwards.”

“It’s morning already.”

“Well, then we’ll have the morning, and the afternoon, and yet another night, and yet another morning,” Youngjo grinned. Behind them, Seoho was mimicking vomiting but none of them paid him any attention. “There’s a lot ahead of us since you admitted to liking me. I’m not going anywhere for as long as you’ll have me.”

Keonhee grinned back, pushing Youngjo forward so the both of them would finally head to the court and get off Seoho’s hair. “I couldn’t ask for more.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this piece ;; let me know what you thought! see you soon, hopefully!

**Author's Note:**

> yes the title is a pun on how youngjo keeps getting arrested nfjknkg  
> 
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/ravnhee)


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